In
this three-minute read, we look at why a landlord needs a professional mindset,
and what can go wrong if emotions cloud your judgment.

There’s
a line in the classic film The Godfather that neatly sums up
what landlords need to know about letting properties.

“It’s
nothing personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business,” drawls a brooding Michael
Corleone as he plots a daring and ruthless double hit.

Now,
here at CWB Property, we’re law-abiding citizens, so we’re
certainly not suggesting you become a cold-blooded Mafia boss or fraternise
with Sicilian mobsters.

But
we do recommend that Kent landlords take a
business-like approach when they let a property.

One
of the biggest mistakes a landlord can make is to allow their personal feelings
to impede their decision making; this often happens when:

• A landlord has a strong emotional attachment
  to a property (perhaps they used to live in it, or inherited it from a
  loved one). When a tenant moves in, the landlord views every minor scrape
  to the woodwork or carpet stain as a personal affront. Landlords need to
  accept that some wear and tear is inevitable.
• A landlord has carried out DIY work at the
  property to their own taste instead of keeping things neutral, making it
  less appealing to tenants. They may also see no need for electrical and
  gas safety inspections because they’ve “had a look over it themselves”.
  Fact: gas and electrical inspections are legal requirements.
• The landlord knew the tenant before they moved
  in, so the professional boundaries are blurred. Things often go awry
  because the landlord hasn’t conducted a reference check (because a friend
  or family member has vouched for the tenant). Even worse, some landlords
  don’t make their tenants sign a contract; it’s all done on a wink and a
  handshake.
• The tenant/landlord relationship grows too cosy
  over time. As a result, the landlord is lax about inspections or hasn’t raised
  the rent for years because the tenant is a “friend”.
• The tenant/landlord relationship becomes so
  toxic that the landlord loses perspective. (As they say in The
  Godfather: “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.”)
  Determined to settle a score with a nightmare tenant, the landlord cuts
  corners on inspections or evictions – a decision that later proves costly.
  Sometimes the most financially astute course of action is to compromise
  (even if it is through gritted teeth).

Being
a landlord isn’t just about managing a property; it’s about working with
people. Whether it’s dealing with a tenant who has lost their job and can’t pay
their rent, or managing a messy dispute between a tenant and neighbour, you
need to remain calm, clear-headed, and professional.

Landlords
don’t have to be unsympathetic or insensitive but do need to balance their duty
of care with their financial responsibilities.

One
way to manage these difficult situations is to draw on the expertise of us, we
will be able to:

• Come up with workable solutions to all manner
  of problems (as experienced agents we have seen all sorts over the years).
• Ensure landlords stay on the right side of the
  law.
• Talk to people from all walks of life and
  clearly articulate a tenant’s legal obligations.
• Step back from complex scenarios and take a
  broader view.

Here
at CWB Property, we can take the stress, emotion, and
guesswork out of managing a property. Please get in touch if you’d like us to
help you.